9MW Solar Roof in New Jersey Will Be the Largest in the U.S.

While New Yorkers struggle to install solar panels because of our city’s complex bureaucracy, our neighbors across the Hudson River are upping the ante in the solar power game. New Jersey has broken the record, which was set by itself, for the largest solar installation in the United States. The first installation that took the title is already in operation, and the second will be completed by the end of the year. The 9MW solar rooftop, using panels from SunPower, will be completed on the roof of the Holt Logistics warehouse and will supply 80 percent of the building’s needs.

The warehouse, located in the Gloucester Marine Terminal on the Delaware River, is mostly a refrigerated storage facility, which can give you an idea about the high utilities costs prior to using the solar panels. The solar panels will cost a whopping $42 million, but earnings from the sale of Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SRECs) will cover it within a couple of years. What this means is that the company will be able to save on utility bills, while at the same time earning money from the panels’ contribution to the energy grid.

This does beg the question: why aren’t other states also doing the same thing? Recent studies show that the green economy and energy industry employs more people than the fossil fuel industry. States like New York and New Jersey have now set the example of the benefits that investing in green infrastructure can bring.